OWH Purchases Qwest Building

Asten · Post by **Asten** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 10:39 am

This is interesting. A potential new square block just opened up in DTO!

OWH wrote:The Omaha World-Herald Co. has purchased the Qwest Communications building downtown and will relocate many of its operations there.

Employees in the World-Herald Square building, the newspaper's primary office for the past 56 years, will begin moving a block south into the building at 1314 Douglas St. later this year. The newspaper will move its news, circulation, advertising and administrative departments to the new building.

Full story: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=46&u_sid=2144750

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 10:52 am

I've been wanting the OWH block to open up for a long time. It wouldn't surprise me if there's already a buyer for the site (AF, PacLife) that prompted the OWH to move. That block is surrounded by many new projects (FNC, UPC, Freedom Center, Holland, Wallstreet Tower) and this would be a prime spot for something new.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 10:54 am

Does this mean the old old Omaha paper property is ready for development?

Post by **Brad** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 12:47 pm

Awsome, the OWH building is a DUMP!

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 1:30 pm

Does this mean they're going to change the name of the building to the World Herald building? That'd be cool.

Also:

The McCarthy Group Inc. represented The World-Herald in the transaction, which Gottschalk said had been in the works for more than two years.

Whoa! No wonder they were against so much downtown stuff! They didn't want the property value of the Qwest building to go up, thus raising the price they'd have to pay for it!

Also...does anyone else think this is weird, considering the OWH refused to call it the Qwest Center for such a long time, yet the whole time they were brokering a deal to buy Qwest's building?

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 1:31 pm

I think I see more photo possibilities coming.

adam186 · Post by **adam186** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 3:20 pm

Wow, just found this thread. Great news and can't wait to see what's to come.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 3:24 pm

Fordham Spire Omaha?

Big E · Post by **Big E** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 3:44 pm

I suggest surface parking to serve the employees of the downtown parking garages.

;)

-Big E

ItsAllAboutMe · Post by **ItsAllAboutMe** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 3:46 pm

I wondered why OWH didnt go through with their plans to renovate the north side of the current building. Too bad its still not pedestrian friendly nor updated like the rest of of the street.

loyalomahan · Post by **loyalomahan** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 3:47 pm

Oh let's be serious here. It will be for another parking garage for the OWH employees.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 3:48 pm

Seriously it will be a vacant structure for years to come.

adam186 · Post by **adam186** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 4:39 pm

Or most serious, a new condo tower community! Slim, tall, modern new buiding w/ offices on the lower floors and retail and parking on the base.

adam186 · Post by **adam186** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 4:40 pm

Speaking of condos, I wonder when hotel condos will take off here in Omaha.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 4:42 pm

Are you insinuating something there?

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 4:46 pm

I don't see this piece of land sitting useless for long.

adam186 · Post by **adam186** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 4:52 pm

No, sorry MTO. Just putting on my visionary goggles again.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 5:42 pm

Exciting!

the1wags · Post by **the1wags** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 8:32 pm

Good news! This is really exciting, the very real potential that block will be developed into something much grander. My first thought is also the AF group wanting the site, but perhaps not. Im definately thinking office tower though with a condo tower going in next door, gotta mix it up you know.

Adding this pic I took about a month ago. Not the greatest shot of the old WH building (short one in bottom of pic for those who don't know) but shows it and the Qwest building, in addition to what going on around the site.

Minneapolis Boy · Post by **Minneapolis Boy** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:27 pm

I noticed in this evenings WH article, David Brown [Omaha Chamber of Commerce] envisions a structure streaching to the sky. Hmmmm.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:27 pm

(edit: beat me Minneapolis! but here's more)

Interesting quotes from David Brown of the Omaha Chamber from this story on the Qwest purchase which appears in tomorrows OWH...

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=46& ... rnd=996184

"If you look at what's going on around there, you could be a lot more dense on that property," Brown said "Theoretically, you now have another opportunity for one that reaches the sky, which would really be impressive on the skyline."

Brown, the chamber of commerce executive, said downtown is "a real hot market right now. We've got clients who would love to figure out a way to be downtown. Most of them are interested in owning their own space and building new."

He said the move out of the old World-Herald building offers a new option to developers. "Having more choices makes it easier for us to get the projects done. That's just an interesting, new piece in the mix that we need downtown."

I didn't realize the World Herald had so many employees...

Qwest's 700 employees will occupy eight of the floors on a 10-year lease, he said. About 700 World-Herald employees will have offices on the other floors, with one floor open for expansion or another tenant

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 8:52 am

Wow that is exciting. All of these people wanting to build new shows that DTO is more and more becoming the place to be. It also echos what I've been saying that we could have more businesses DT if we had newer facilities. Not like the old NNG building or Keeline building. Who's going want to be in those with FNC and UPC down the street.

enigmo · Post by **enigmo** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:00 am

Actually, the W-H has about 900 employees and a lot of contractors (paper deliverers, etc.). There are a lot of people working in the West advertising office.

The deal may have been in the works for two years, but if my faltering memory serves me correct, John Gottschalk was talking about how US West wanted to sell the building to the World-Herald before that at a fire-sale price. The issue was what to do with the presses. That was resolved when the Freedom Center was built.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 11:38 am

It’s pretty close to the CBD I wonder if a skyscraper stamped with a whale is an option.

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 11:48 am

Whale.

HskrFanMike · Post by **HskrFanMike** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 12:38 pm

While I like the possibility that the old W-H building could be bulldozed, I wonder if this might open up some wonderful possibilities to replace the Qwest building in a few years.

Bear me out.

Bulldoze the existing WH building and make it greenspace for now. Let's let the Wall Street Tower and other projects complete.

Then a 2 part project begins:

A new mid-size tower for the World-Herald, complete with skywalks connecting to their plants and garages. Possibly connecting to their garage facility as well as some of the other Omaha downtown businesses.

Once completed, an implosion of the Qwest building for something really grand. This property has the Leahy Mall as a front yard, and the Holland Center as a neighbor. This could be the prime property for the next "big thing"...maybe something huge...

I've felt the Wall Street project is simply in the wrong location; much of the building will not have much of a view. The Qwest building location might have some of the best possible views available in Downtown.

loyalomahan · Post by **loyalomahan** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 1:10 pm

More today
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=46&u_sid=2145402

"A group that lost out on getting the former Union Pacific site at 15th and Dodge Streets for an office development said the old World-Herald site has the same attributes, including a location in what president Mark Hiatt called the "corporate core" of downtown.

He said officials of his company, America First Real Estate Group, met with city officials after they selected a condominium project for the former U.P. site.

"They encouraged us to keep pursuing our concept and talked about a couple of sites," Hiatt said. He said the World-Herald block would be "very interesting." "

Bob from Omaha · Post by **Bob from Omaha** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 1:14 pm

Keep an eye on the old OWH building.

Something big is coming and its really going to be cool...

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 1:31 pm

Bob from Omaha wrote:Keep an eye on the old OWH building.

Something big is coming and its really going to be cool...

TALL... IMO

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 1:43 pm

This is very exciting. I wonder how long it will be before we can expect an announcement.

With the OWH occupying about half of the Qwest Building, I'd like to see some sort of modern, sleek OWH signage at ground level, maybe even using salvaged limestone from the old building...that would be cool.

OmahaJaysCU · Post by **OmahaJaysCU** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 5:08 pm

Maybe the OWH can invest in some building lighting for all those night skyline shots.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 5:42 pm

I think the rest of the DTO businesses should do that.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 12:47 am

A couple photos I took Wednesday.

the1wags · Post by **the1wags** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 8:41 am

Yeah I do like that curved stone part of the building. Save the stone part to build into the new tower and knock the heck outta the brick part.

adam186 · Post by **adam186** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 10:30 am

I was thinking the same thing wags! That curved part would make a good entrance for a bookstore or coffee shop. Do a facadectomy and put in retail. Not all of it needs to be saved though.

NorthSide · Post by **NorthSide** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:20 pm

Big E wrote:I suggest surface parking to serve the employees of the downtown parking garages.

;)

-Big E

As my first post ever, I just have to say this was the funniest f***ing thing I have read on this forum! So true... so sad... so true...

adam186 · Post by **adam186** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 7:40 pm

Welcome to the forum NorthSide.

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 7:54 pm

i totally agree that the facade should be saved and used in a new development, that way everyone wins and we wont be bombarded with people complaining

OmahaChef · Post by **OmahaChef** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 8:21 pm

Man, I totally missed this event this week! This is really great news!!! Guess I need to spend less time in the Development and Rumor threads. As several people said previously, a full city block, low cost site development, and a key location could really make this a prime piece of land. And I loved the comments from David Brown at the Chamber. Sounds real encouraging for downtown Omaha!

adam186 · Post by **adam186** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 8:29 pm

OmahaChef wrote:And I loved the comments from David Brown at the Chamber. Sounds real encouraging for downtown Omaha!

Me too, it's great to have more progressive and optimistic minds in the Chamber.

Putting on my visionary goggles (kinda) again, I can see another RFP on this site similar to the one for the old UPC later this year. This is not any inside information or anything so don't think that I know something you don't.